All work and no play can make anyone dull. If you work full time you spend at least 40 hours per week – or close to 85,000 hours of your life – working (based on an average career spanning 40-years). That is way too much time to spend being unhappy.
Talent Plus has listed below 5 tips that will help you have more fun at work or make the place you work a happier one.
The simplest way to having a fun time at work is be in a job you enjoy! A role that isn’t right for you will not just drain out the fun but may also cause unwanted stress and emotional distress. A job that you enjoy need not necessarily be one that involves fun and games at all times. Instead, it may be simple as being in a job you are good at.
Having the natural aptitude and required talent for a particular role is critical in determining how well you fit into your office and your industry.
When applying for a job or when recruiting people for a company make sure you clearly determine what talent you are looking for. Be sure to not rush the process and invest time and effort to ensure that you find the right job or the right person who ticks the boxes. If you don’t, not only will you not have fun at work, but your boss and your team might not have a lot of fun either.
Having regular meetings that are not business-related are a fool-proof way to get the energy levels up amidst the mid-week lull. Take it outside by organizing an in-office wellness activity or sports tournament. Be it football, baseball, yoga or meditation, getting the group together for a fitness activity is a refreshing change from the usual in-office activities.
Now, pitting employees against each other under competitive circumstances might sound like a possibly explosive scenario, but the time spent bonding with each other outside of work helps build camaraderie, improves team cohesiveness and here’s the best part: everyone gets a little fitter in the process.
See: Who are the Happiest Workers? What are the Top Drivers of Workplace Happiness?
Celebrations need not only be reserved for the big promotions, client wins and smashing sales numbers. Recognizing one’s success is the foundation for development. Putting in extra effort to appreciate your employees and their achievements, however small they may be, is the perfect recipe for strengthening relationships and boosting overall morale.
At Talent Plus, we consider an employee’s first day at work as one of the most important days to celebrate, because you only get one first day. On onboarding day, we invite the new joiner’s family members to join us as we celebrate their first step into the Talent Plus journey.
This gives the newbie a chance to bond with the team and get familiar in an informal setting, before getting down to serious business.
Employees love a free lunch, then again, who doesn’t? When the work starts piling on, sitting down for a nutritious meal is the first thing that goes out the door. By setting aside time for team lunches, wherein everyone takes a break from work to sit together and indulge in a healthy, delicious meal, can ensure that employees (and their tummies) are kept happy!
Making an office a fun and inspiring space is not just the responsibility of the managers. From the big bosses to the interns, every employee has a vital role to play in creating an inviting and exciting office culture.
Saw a funny joke online? Share it with everyone in the office. Buy an extra muffin for your desk neighbor on your way in! Or craft a quick hand-written note to let your colleague know how much you appreciate their work (at Talent Plus, we call this the “Five Star Card”).
If everyone plays their part by making small changes to their daily practice, you can make a world of difference to the overall office culture. Creating a fun office environment is not rocket science, but it is easy to forget its importance as we go about our day-to-day tasks.
So, if you haven’t been having too much fun at work lately, today might just be the perfect day for you to make a start!
Author credit: Deon Senturk, Director Business Strategy and Development, Talent Plus
Also read: Top Trends Shaping the Global Workplace in 2017
Image credit: Freepik
